Maximilien Hilbert
Full Name: Maximilien Wade Hilbert Age/Date of Birth: 48, III Septidi Pluviôse , 213 AU Gender: Male Race/Ethnicity: Durantian Citizenship: Durantian, Ghalean Appearance: "This gentleman was not young, nor was he old, his body showing a gradual progression from the wilting of youth's flower to that quagmire of middle age. He was of middling height, bordering on short, with an uncommonly hunched back born of a life spent bent over the chemist's desk. An associate had once commented that this stooping brings to mind a predator defending a recently slain meal. This comparison could be extended by even the least poetic of minds, from the white teeth lengthened by eroded gums to the ever-twitching boney fingers. Nowhere was he more bestial than in his eyes, those leering olive portals through which could be discerned a primal hunger of sorts, a craving, insatiable and all consuming. Choppy brown hair, lacking any particular luster or evidence of care, dangled limply about his skull, brushed back unthinkingly from the face for the sake of convenience. He was rarely compelled to visit a barber, preferring instead to haphazardly slice away errant strands as they came to his attention. In short, Maximilien Hilbert lacked any outward markings of nobility, his very humanity seeming to fall away piece by piece with every passing day. His fingers were too long, his limbs too thin, his senses too acute. Magical mutation had seized this man, a son of merchants with no magically-inclined ancestry, and he was perfectly content with this unnatural evolution." ~ from Concerning Jungle Cats Languages spoken: Durantian Standard, Godrite, High Ghalean, Old Murotian, Carmaghi, Kelsmic, Idrachi, miscellaneous Aeternian tongues Occupation(s): Vice-President of Kurtz, Head of R&D Likes: Great Mother Science, Insects, Glass, Dental Hygiene, Control, Genealogy, Soap Dislikes: Groups, Irregular Noise, Old Wood, Humidity, Ethics, Pandering, Money Biography: A merchant's son, Maximilien Hilbert (formerly Maximilien Wade) of Keatston enjoyed his youth in much the same way that a cat enjoys a sack. That is to say, he extricated himself from any possibility of enjoyment with reckless haste. At the fresh young age of eight he resolved to leave behind the vulgar life of the mercantile caste in favor of the scholarly arts. However, a homeless child is more likely to find themselves in a workhouse than a library and, fearing the black-gloved fist of capitalism, Hilbert took to the cavernous sewer system stretching from Keatston to the capital, eventually gnawing out a humble nest in the catacombs beneath the Galamont House . There he became a phantom, an urban legend of sorts, stealing nightly meals from the school's kitchens and a small fortune in reading material from the libraries. By the age of ten he had amassed a highly selected base of knowledge from which to launch future studies, only to fall victim to his own hubris in a botched attempt at carrying off a prized volume from the school's private collection. For once in Hilbert's innumerable library raids, an observer took action, catching the filthy little vagrant by the throat and hauling him directly to the establishment's headmaster. In one of those serendipitous hiccups of fate, though, the headmaster happened to be meeting with renowned man of action Marlowe Dashwood, made popular by his explorations of the Ghalean and Carmaghi wilderness. Young, handsome, and possessing a perfect jaw, Dashwood took a liking to the testicular fortitude of the wastrel before him, offering to take the boy under his wing. No objection was raised. Thus ended the era of subterranean living, having given way to a formal education arranged by the well-connected Dashwood. Hilbert proved well-suited to this learning environment, outperforming his peers in spite of their jeering and the widespread prejudice of his general education instructors at Murota University . While some would assert that this drive to succeed was based in part on Hilbert's desire to repay Dashwood's kindness, Dashwood himself laughingly refuted the claim, stating that Hilbert "just wants to be better than everyone else". A simple truth which would set the tone for Hilbert's future. At thirteen Hilbert would at last be introduced to proper competition in the form of Erick Saint-Just , Dashwood being a long-standing friend of the Saint-Just family and the erstwhile traveling companion of Erick's father, Benjamin . For two years the boys would compete, trading the top spots on any given exam and caring for nothing beyond the accolades of the other. As Hilbert's life seemed to at last reach a stable, positive point, a development took place in the form of Dashwood's proposed circumnavigation of the globe. Boats came and went from Idrach at times, he reasoned; why should not boats go beyond? Benjamin Saint-Just shared this view and, with a sizable grant, gathered up their young wards and set sail for the unknown. Though the passing was treacherous, the aid of Kelsmic sailors rendered the trip feasible. For fifteen years they would be gone from Muralis, though only five would see the group united in their travels. Hilbert would be the first to split off from the group after a nebulous spat with the younger Saint-Just, deviating from the ambitious goal of the elders to merely meander beyond the Idrachi borders for another decade or so. Rumors abound regarding his activities in this substantial length of time, ranging from the establishment of shadow-haunted research facilities to the acquisition of eldritch knowledge never intended for mortal minds. In reality, it is likely that Hilbert simply wandered about, spent a great deal of time in foreign libraries, patronized a few houses of ill repute, and gouged out the eyes of a handful of drunkards for the sheer fun of it. Regardless, Hilbert would be the second of the four to return from the attempted circumnavigation, reentering Muralis by way of Kelsma and silently slithering into place amongst the Kurtz hierarchy. Within the following decade he would climb the ranks, assuming the role of Vice-President due in no small part to his unmatched brilliance and brutal efficiency. Though the Monte Cristo fiasco formed something of a black spot on his record, his researches into the nature of magic and its effects on the human body have continued unchecked, with no signs of abating by his own will. Quote: "Best to just be forgettin' all of them washed up notions of moral responsibility an' that do no harm ''twaddle. You wanna take a step forward, suckle at the bosom of Science? Get to cuttin' open some brains. Take apart the ol' meat clock, write up a report, and shove it straight up your ass because ''I already know all there is to know 'bout that you slippery harlot." Aliases : Dr. Wade Sexual Orientation: Seems to be Asexual...? Clothing Style: Utilitarian and often a bit messy. Like most of his station, Hilbert prefers the white cotton duster of the scientist, worn over various suits (bought off the rack at a discount) rarely matched properly with out-of-style neckwear. He has a worrisome fondness for slippers. Religion: Science Political Affiliation: Science Education: Some years at Murota University, extensive private tutoring, successful autodidacticism. Weapons : Scalpels, knives, uncommonly sharp pencils, anything short and sharp. Science. Special Abilities/Skills: Very precise with a knife, quite the surgeon. Magically-inclined to extremes. Organizations: The Kurtz Corporation, Murota University, Thieyons University Mannerisms: Speaks like a scullery maid, which is unsurprising given his childhood. A bit twitchy. Prone to mood swings. Colorblind. Relationship(s): Has a strange species of brotherhood with Erick Saint-Just. Considers Marlowe Dashwood to be his benevolent father figure, and regards Benjamin Saint-Just as a mad uncle. Finds Sinclaire Thames "trifling". Primally attracted to Celia Maxwell, but resents this. Regrets the loss of Henry Foster. Sees potential in Clarent Hydeman. Interests/Hobbies: Acquisition of knowledge, spontaneous surgery, Science, whittling, hiking. Family: Liam Wade (father) and Ameline Hilbert (mother), both of whom are deceased, a fact neither known or of any interest to Hilbert. Category:Characters Category:Durant Category:Saint-Just